Commissioners vote to authorize appeal in sand pit battle

Wednesday

Oct 18, 2006 at 12:26 AM

BY RICK CUNDIFFSTAR-BANNER

OCALA - County commissioners got an earful of sand Tuesday.
A running battle between Belleview residents who live near a sand pit operated by C&K Investments and the company continued at the commissioners' biweekly meeting.
Commissioners voted to authorize county attorney Thomas Wright to appeal an August decision by Circuit Judge Jack Singbush that the county didn't give proper notice of a required hearing before granting a special-use permit to C&K to operate the sand pit.
"We feel we have a strong case that the board did everything properly," Wright told the commissioners.
That prompted residents living along County Road 25 adjacent to the pit to object later in the meeting.
"The easiest thing for the county would be to just do what the judge has asked you to do, and that's have another hearing," said Ted Kirk. "I think there's a lot of issues with this sand pit."
Belinda Thompson, Kirk's daughter, listed a series of concerns with the pit, including allegations that C&K is improperly filling in mined areas with construction debris.
"It's a landfill, putting construction debris out there," she said.
County Growth Management Bureau Chief Mike May said the company is required to replace the mined sand with "clean fill," which can include items such as concrete with steel embedded in it.
Engineer David Tillman, representing C&K, rejected that claim, saying the company was filling the mined area only with approved materials.
"There's no intent here to put anything in the ground that's not included in their permits," he said. "We've done everything that we can to make sure that we've met all the requirements of the special use permit and intend to continue to do so."
Kirk and Thompson also expressed concern about potential traffic hazards caused by dump trucks entering and leaving the pit area with no acceleration or turn lanes.
Tillman responded that the lack of an acceleration lane made the road safer.
"What you want is for a truck to sit and wait until there's a clearing and then turn out onto the highway," he said.
In other actions Tuesday, commissioners:
voted to approve flying 50 state flags at the county Veterans Park on Veterans Day and other special occasions;
accepted copies of a location shot picture book produced by the Film Commission of Real Florida using a grant from the Ocala/Marion County Tourism Development Commission.
Information from Star-Banner archives was used in this story. Rick Cundiff may be reached at rick.cundiff@starbanner.com or at (352) 867-4130.